The number and popularity of wireless communications devices in use continues to rise rapidly all over the world. Not only have cellular telephones become very popular, but Wireless Local Area Networking (WLAN) devices have also proliferated. One standard for wireless networking, which has been widely accepted, is the Specification of the Bluetooth System, v. 1.1 (“Bluetooth Specification”). The Bluetooth Specification enables the creation of small personal area networks (PAN's), where the typical operating range of a device is 100 meters or less. In a Bluetooth system, Bluetooth devices sharing a common channel sequence form a piconet. Two or more piconets co-located in the same area, with or without inter-piconet communications, is known as a scatternet.
The Bluetooth Specification supports voice communications between Bluetooth enabled devices. When a pair of Bluetooth devices support voice communication, the voice communications must be wirelessly supported in a continuous fashion so that carried voice signals are of an acceptable quality. Unexpected gaps, e.g., dropped packets, on the wireless link between supported Bluetooth devices causes degradation in the voice communication resulting in popping, static, or other unpleasant audible event. This problem is especially troublesome with Bluetooth devices since, in some operations, the communication link will regularly drop packets that carry the voice signals.
Thus, there is a need for improved operation by WLAN devices servicing voice communications.